


No Contest

by Littlebarchie07



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:49:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24107773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Littlebarchie07/pseuds/Littlebarchie07
Summary: A Barchie one-shot set just after 4x18 when Betty realises it will always be Archie. Warning: Bughead breakup.
Relationships: Archie Andrews/Betty Cooper, Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones
Kudos: 43





	No Contest

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally posted on my Tumblr: https://littlepiper07.tumblr.com/post/617571739165130752/flash-fiction-no-contest

There had been so much pain in Archie's expression; Betty had recognized it immediately. It was the same expression she had worn after prom, when he told her he couldn’t give her the answer she wanted. Now the roles had reversed. Time was such a fickle and funny thing. Betty didn’t understand why now. Why had he not realised it back then? Everything was much more complicated now. 

She took a deep breath. She stood by what she had said to him back in the bunker. They had always felt safe with each other, but that wasn’t enough. Cheryl had made her second guess everything. Had she done the wrong thing?

“Hey.” Jughead’s familiar voice broke her from her thoughts. A weight shifted onto her bed and she turned around. A faint, guilt ridden smile lined her lips.

“Jug.” He pulled his arms around her, breathing in the smell of her. It was only for a second, but she froze, and it did not go unnoticed.

Jug pulled back and looked at her. “Betty?” He arched his eyebrow. “You okay?”

She swallowed, her eyes dull and glistening. Should she tell him what had happened? Her brain was racked with guilt and her heart was breaking, she felt she was being pulled in half. One half of her wanted this, wanted Jug - but the other, god the other wanted to run right into Archie’s arms. She let out a heavy sigh and Jughead pulled away from her.

“I get it.” Jughead said softly. His eyes were heavy and the light in them had drained and his face was unreadable.

She opened her mouth to speak but Jughead held up his hand. 

“It’s Archie.” He let out a soft chuckle, followed quickly by a scoff and a shake of his head. “It’s always Archie." 

She moved quickly, grabbing onto his arm as he moved to get off the bed.

"Jug - Wait -” She got to her feet and Jughead’s hand moved to cover her own which was grasping onto his shirt. 

He stroked her hand softly, his fingers ghosting her skin before he lifted her hand off of him.

“Don’t say anything. There’s nothing for you to say.” His voice was flat. There was no anger, just hints of regret and defeat. “I won’t ever be Archie. I can’t compete.”

A small sob escaped her throat, she didn’t realize she was crying, but the tears were hot and heavy on her pale cheeks. “It’s not a competition!” She cried. 

Jughead turned to her, and his hands cupped her face. She squeezed her eyes shut as his forehead came against hers. “No - no contest. There never has been.” His eyes were wet, and she felt his cool lips touch her cheek. 

“I don’t know what’s happened between you two.” He whispered, his lips close to her ear. “I don’t want to know.” He paused. A quiver in his voice. “Just - don’t let him hurt you.” He lingered for a moment, his breathing heavy in her ear. 

“Goodbye Betty.” He whispered, and then he was gone.

***

Some may have thought it was wrong of her. In a way it was wrong. Morally wrong. So verywrong that there was no way for it to be right, but it didn’t matter. Jughead knew and he had left. It took Betty an hour to compose herself. She showered, and dressed and sat in front of her window, waiting for the lights to glow from the room across the way. The moment they did, she was bounding down the stairs and heading over. There was no time for hesitations.

Her heart pounded as she knocked on the door. She had no idea how long it took for the familiar thunder of his feet, bouncing down the stairs, two at a time, to reach the door. It could have been a minute, 30 seconds, two hours…. time was standing still, and then a rush of something, the door swung open.

Standing there, red-faced, hungry eyes and a faint Archie smile.

“Betty.” her name slipped off his lips, it was half shock, half hopeful He didn't have time to say anything more, her hand tugged at his shirt as she pulled him to her in a bruising kiss. His mouth met hers, openly and there was no time to breathe. 

In that moment, their world stopped and nothing else mattered. What would come next, they would deal with. For in that moment, it was just the two of them, as it always had been. 

Betty and Archie.


End file.
